GEC, the Gujarat State Project Management Unit (SPMU) in association with DHI India is preparing an Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan for the Gulf of Kachchh. Consultations with multiple stakeholders are an important part of the plan preparation, which would play a significant role in making an inclusive Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan. For more information about the consultations, please contact Mr. Nischal Joshi, Sr. Manager (Projects), Gujarat Ecology Commission on mail@geciczmp.com or call on 079-23257656-659. Visit http://www.geciczmp.com/Data/Sites/1/docs/tentative.pdf for more information.

Women of coastal areas are identified as equal partners in the ICZM project, Gujarat. In order to bring women into the mainstream and make them active participants in planning and management, several steps are ensured, such as:

Involvement and participation of women is mandatory in CBOs. The Executive Body of the CBOs have at least 50 per cent participation of women members.

The CBOs have two signatories, out of which it is compulsory to have one woman member.

The Social Audit Committees formed in all the 160 project villages of Gulf of Kachchh have one woman member.

Majority of the 478 SHGs formed under ICZMP have more women members.

Equal participation of women is ensured in all the exposure visits conducted.

This project aims to convert the vast saline track in to grassland through triggering ecological succession. The project is being implemented at Tada Talav Village of Khambhat block, Anand district with people participation and local level CBO. The project aims to establish a model by converting vast saline track with vegetative cover and restore the ecology of the area. The project is likely to be completed by June-2016. The thrust areas of the project are as under:

The ICZM yatra was a unique awareness activity implemented by Gujarat Ecology Commission to communicate among the coastal community about the integrated efforts undertaken in ICZMP Gujarat and its achievements.

The ICZM yatra, which was flagged off by the Hon’ble Minister of Forests and Environment, Govt. of Gujarat Shri Mangubhai Patel on December 18, 2014 has been concluded at Guneri village of Lakhpat block in Kachchh district on February 7, 2015. During the last 52 days the yatra travelled around 3500 km covering the 160 ICZMP villages along the Gulf of Kachchh. The ICZM yatra has reached more than 63,000 people of the coastal villages with various messages on ICZM.

The yatra in the form of a tableau has helped in raising awareness about the scope of integrated concept of coastal zone management and share achievements of the ICZM project. The major objectives of the yatra were as follows:

• To raise awareness about the scope of Integrated Coastal Zone Management, by involving multiple stakeholders of the project.
• To spread awareness and build capacity of community in coastal zone management approach.
• For branding the ICZM project within project areas and showcase involvement of community and other partners.
• To encourage community and people of all ages towards concerns of coastal zone management and to encourage community to be a part of the ICZM process.

The tableau along with the mobilisation team, members of CBOs/EDCs/SHGs and local leaders visited all 160 project villages and engaged community members and children with discussion, audio-video shows, bhavai etc.

Our fourth batch of the ICZMP training at Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT) began on November 20th and concluded on November 27th 2014. This is yet another achievement for the ICZMP in terms of capacity building of officials and persons concerned with coastal zone management in Gujarat.

The ICZMP trainings adopt an integrated approach in the sense that, the training modules cover a variety of relevant topics integral to efficient coastal zone management. On the other hand, participants belonging to different departments and disciplines such as ecology, environment management, public services, maritime board among others converge on a common platform to learn about effective coastal zone management.

This amalgamation of different perspectives and voices from the realms of science and management enriched the quality of the workshop, it gives officials from various departments with knowledge and skills on subjects beyond their framework of expertise but, relevant to overall coastal zone management.

In 2001, the World Toilet Organization (WTO) declared November 19th as World Toilet Day. From then onward, every year, November 19th is commemorated as World Toilet Day emphasizing the importance of access to toilets or rather lack thereof. Irregular to no access to proper toilets and sanitary facilities has not only resulted in health problems but also crossed into the domain of crime mostly exposing women to sexual assault and rape.

Access to a toilet is thus advocated today as a Human Right. A human right to safety, cleanliness & hygiene and above all good health.

Lack of toilets has hazards not only for individual health and safety but also for the environment. Observations from the ICZMP (Gujarat) report that open defecation has adverse impact on marine biodiversity as human waste runs off into the sea and oceans. This is true of coastal zones as well.

In a project such as the ICZMP where public health and sanitation is not an explicit objective, building toilets became an inevitable process and goal to achieve the larger objective of socioeconomic development and natural resource management which required active community participation.So why build toilets? The answer is simple: if people suffer from acute urinary problems, certainly planting mangroves- a vital natural resource for coastal conservation- is not an endearing prospect for them.

Secondly, building toilets was an initiative by the implementing agencies to build rapport with the community members and motivate them to play an active role in the project to achieve project goals as well as environmental sustainability and community development. PRA exercises in several villages revealed the need for private toilets in each household. Several women openly demanded for better toilets without being coy or embarrassed.

Therefore, under the auspices of the ICZMP, several toilets were built in project villages an example of which is Mungani village, Jamnagar district. In Mungani, private toilets were built for 60 families with support from project funds as well as contribution by community members and their households; poor financial conditions was one of the reasons preventing community members from building toilets. A septic tank was provided for every toilet to establish an On Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) to prevent sewage from entering the sea. Beneficiaries reported immense satisfaction at having private access to toilets.

Not having access to a toilet can have a debilitating effect on people’s lives and communities as a whole. Today the right to a toilet is being advocated as a human right with utmost urgency and rightly so. However, from the ICZMP initiatives to build toilets, an important lesson learned is that public sanitation-related interventions could be very important for development to progress and achieve sustainability whether or not sanitation is included in the project context and framework of goals and objectives.

“The World Bank Institute’s Knowledge Exchange (WBIKE) practice is dedicated to supporting and equipping the World Bank’s frontline teams with resources to connect countries more systematically and effectively. Sharing knowledge and experiences among peers and partners in the global South is a key priority for many developing countries.“- World Bank (2013)

Under the auspices of the WBIKE, on November 5th and 6th 2014, the SPMU Gujarat had the privilege of hosting a delegation from the Kingdom of Morocco in Jamnagar. A delegation of the World Bank was present too. The Moroccan delegation comprised of high-level officials from the departments of agriculture, tourism, aquaculture development, environmental and natural resources unit; officials from the High Commission for Water, Forests and Fight against Desertification.

The following is a detailed list of participants from the Kingdom of Morocco:

Advisor to the Minister Delegate in Charge of Environment, Ministry of Environment, Kingdom of Morocco.

(Chief of Service at the Regional Delegation of Nador) Department of Maritime Fishing, Kingdom of Morocco.

In-Charge, Environment, and Focal Point for ICZM Project Ministry of Tourism, Kingdom of Morocco.

Focal Point for ICZM Project, National Agency for Development of Aquaculture, Kingdom of Morocco.

Focal Point for ICZM Project, Agency for Agricultural Development, Kingdom of Morocco.

Focal Point for ICZM Project, High Commission for Water, Forests and Fight Against Desertification, Kingdom of Morocco.

Sr. Natural Resources Management Specialist, Middle East and North Africa, Energy & Environment Department, The World Bank, Washington DC, US

Program Assistant, ICZM Focal Point, World Bank Office in Morocco

From the World Bank, Social Development Specialist and consultants were present. The team comprising of officials and experts from Gujarat Ecology Commission, Marine National park and Sanctuary, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Jamnagar Municipal Corporation (JMC) hosted the programme.

The delegations visited the Sewage Sewerage treatment system facilitated by ICZMP for environmental sanitation of Jamnagar, the village of Mota Ambla to learn about livelihood enhancement activities and a discussion on sea water monitoring sites with officials from Gujarat Pollution Control Board.

The interaction was engaging and productive promoting a platform for transnational knowledge exchange, learning and application.

Today, 22 years ago the Government of Gujarat set up an Ecology Commission for the State of Gujarat known today as Gujarat Ecology Commission (GEC). The last two decades has seen GEC grow as an organization from advocating & promoting ecological sustainability and environmental conservation to branching out into new directions such as Coastal Zone Management.

Our Wetland and Pond Management Training campaign for rural communities and Biomedical Waste Management training for public health officials were the highlights of this year. Through this training, we reached out to thousands of beneficiaries communicating to them the importance of natural resource management and conservation, good public health and environmental sustainability at large. The ICZM project is progressing well empowering beneficiaries with infrastructure in terms of water security, livelihood security as well as environmental conservation.

It is our endeavour to progress with the same spirit in the coming years. Thank you all for supporting us in various ways

On October 17th, Gujarat Ecology Commission, the State Project Management Unit for the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP) hosted a workshop on the ICZMP Gujarat in Bhuj, Kutch District for district level officials from various state govt. departments.

The workshop aims to provide a platform for government officials of various departments with reference to coastal zone management, to communicate with one another about existing schemes and how these schemes can be linked to produce outcomes to benefit the communities in Gujarat’s coastal zone. This communication exercise between managers in an integrated framework is an important exercise for integrated management.

Officials belonging to the following departments (and more) shall participate in the workshop:

1. Agriculture

2. Animal Husbandry

3. Irrigation

4. Water Supply

5. Social Forestry

6. Rural Development

7. Education

8. Health

9. Watershed Development

10. Public Works

Within this integrated framework, the workshop is exptected to initiate a dialogue on how different departments can form linkages with another to cooperate for integrated coastal zone management. More updates soon.